NFIRE satellite completes missile defence experiment.(SPACE)

The Near Field Infrared Experiment (NFIRE) satellite, built by General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, has successfully completed its first experiment for the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA).

In the experiment, NFIRE collected high- and low-resolution images of a Chimera boosting missile--a modified Minuteman II booster vehicle--launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., that flew within 3.5 kilometers of the on-orbit satellite. Data collected during this experiment will be used to help with the development of future missile defence technology efforts. In particular, the images will improve understanding of missile exhaust plume observations and plume-to-rocket body discrimination.

The NFIRE satellite has been in orbit since it was launched from NASA's Wallops Island, Va. space launch facility on April 24, 2007. General Dynamics is the system integrator for the NFIRE mission, responsible for the design and manufacture of the spacecraft, payload integration, full satellite system testing, configuration of the mission operation centres, and one year of on-orbit operations support. The primary payload is the Track Sensor Payload, provided by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and SAIC-San Diego. A second, similar mission will be conducted by the MDA later this year

Following these missile data collection experiments, NFIRE will conduct laser crosslink satellite-to-satellite and satellite-to-ground communication experiments with its secondary payload, called the Laser Communication Terminal, built by Tesat-Spacecom of Germany.

The NFIRE exercise campaign supports the design and development of space-based sensors like the Space Tracking and Surveillance System (STSS) currently under development as well as design and development of boost phase interceptor sensors.